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The Ethics of Entrepreneurial Philanthropy

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  • Charles Harvey

    (Newcastle University)

  • Jillian Gordon

    (University of Glasgow)

  • Mairi Maclean

    (University of Bath)

Abstract

A salient if under researched feature of the new age of global inequalities is the rise to prominence of entrepreneurial philanthropy, the pursuit of transformational social goals through philanthropic investment in projects animated by entrepreneurial principles. Super-wealthy entrepreneurs in this way extend their suzerainty from the domain of the economic to the domains of the social and political. We explore the ethics and ethical implications of entrepreneurial philanthropy through systematic comparison with what we call customary philanthropy, which preferences support for established institutions and social practices. We analyse the ethical statements made at interview by 24 elite UK philanthropists, 12 customary and 12 entrepreneurial, to reveal the co-existence of two ethically charged narratives of elite philanthropic motivations, each instrumental in maintaining the established socio-economic order. We conclude that entrepreneurial philanthropy, as an ostensibly efficacious instrument of social justice, is ethically flawed by its unremitting impulse toward ideological purity.

Suggested Citation

  • Charles Harvey & Jillian Gordon & Mairi Maclean, 2021. "The Ethics of Entrepreneurial Philanthropy," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 171(1), pages 33-49, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:171:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1007_s10551-020-04468-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-020-04468-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Emerson Wagner Mainardes & Julio Simão Santos, 2024. "The Effects on Corporate Reputation of Corporate Social Irresponsibility, Philanthropy, and Customer Value Orientation," Corporate Reputation Review, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 27(4), pages 299-314, November.
    2. Valeria Giacomin & Geoffrey Jones, 2022. "Drivers of Philanthropic Foundations in Emerging Markets: Family, Values and Spirituality," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(1), pages 263-282, September.
    3. Mohammad Daradkeh, 2023. "Navigating the Complexity of Entrepreneurial Ethics: A Systematic Review and Future Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-30, July.
    4. Roy Suddaby & Trevor Israelsen & Francois Bastien & Rohny Saylors & Diego Coraiola, 2023. "Rhetorical History as Institutional Work," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(1), pages 242-278, January.
    5. Muhammad Aftab Alam & David Rooney & Erik Lundmark & Murray Taylor, 2023. "The Ethics of Sharing: Does Generosity Erode the Competitive Advantage of an Ecosystem Firm?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 187(4), pages 821-839, November.

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